I am CEO of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC), a not-for-profit business membership and support organisation that exists to Connect, Support & Grow local businesses.  

Prior to becoming CEO in 2021, I was Policy & Strategic Relationships leading the GBCC’s research, policy, stakeholder engagement and campaigns activity as well as management of the GBCC’s top tier of membership: the Patronage group.  

While at University, I worked as a Student Development Assistant at the Guild of Students and became involved with the UpRising Leadership Programme, an external programme designed to bring together diverse cohorts of potential young leaders and teach them how to understand and access power, for the good of communities. 

That sparked an interest my interest in policy and campaigning and from there a fantastic mentor got me thinking about the different options for working in policy and public affairs and put me in touch with my former manager at the Chamber of Commerce for the internship that got me started here.

I think there is real value in staying in touch with the University after graduation. I’m a Trustee of the University of Birmingham’s Guild of Students and a proud mentor for the University’s Alumni Leadership Mentoring programme, which connects students with alumni leaders. 

I’ve been incredibly fortunate that opportunities have come up at the right time for me. If I could give anyone a bit of advice, it would be to say that it's not your job to tell you you're not ready. If you're interested in a role, put yourself forward – just do it. 

You can read a more detailed version of Henerietta’s story in the latest issue of Old Joe, the University’s of Birmingham’s alumni magazine.